1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to a rubber bearing with a bearing body implemented as an elastomer spring, wherein the spring travel of the bearing body is limited in at least one damping direction by path delimiters. According to one embodiment, the invention is particularly directed to an elastomer bush bearing with axial limit stops.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to equip bush bearings in automobiles, which are used, for example, for supporting the connecting rod of chassis suspensions, with limit stops or path delimiters to limit the compression spring travel of the bearing body subjected to oscillations. This prevents destruction of the bearing due to excessive deformations or excessive elongation of the elastomer bearing body. The limit stops, in particular in bearings with a soft spring characteristic, are typically designed so that the produced excursion limit is not abrupt, but starts out rather gradually. This is achieved by forming the stop faces at least partially of an elastomer. This also prevents annoying vibration effects and noise when the excursion limitation takes effect.
An operating range is defined for the bearing within the characteristic curve field describing the spring characteristics by specifying the possible spring excursion of the elastomer bearing body until the excursion limitation takes effect. In conventional devices, the stop elements of the path delimiter are arranged on or in the bearing at a fixed location. If the preload acting on the bearing undergoes a change, for example when the vehicle load increases, then the operating range of the bearing disadvantageously shifts within the bearing damping curve towards the progressive branch of the spring characteristic. Stated differently, the free travel of the elastomer bearing spring is reduced on the spring compression side, while the free travel is simultaneously increased on the spring rebound or expansion side. When the preload changes, the bearing does then no longer operate in a symmetric operating range, with reference to the defined total spring travel of the elastomer spring, because the limit stop of the spring body is reached sooner in the spring compression direction than in the opposite direction. This causes a noticeable deterioration in the drive dynamics and the comfort of the vehicle.